happy-diver
Skindiver Just feelin it
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I saw this short training SMB that seemed useful. It’s a. It’s pricy but replicates the company’s full sized version.
AP Training SMB | AP Diving
If you have a sealed SMB with an overpressure relief valve, I suppose you could make something similar by folding it over and securing the fold with binder clips?
A good indication of wind. The choppier the windier. The taller the waves, the more wind you are in. On top of that, both wind and waves are a great indication of a surface current which may or may not match deeper currents. The boat's anchor line is always pointed into the surface current and wind which (you guessed it) may or may not match deeper currents.
As a general rule currents are faster on the surface or in the middle, and slowest on the bottom or sides. In the ocean, sides are referred to as "walls". On the bottom you can escape currents almost entirely by ducking into the valleys and sticking to the lee side of structures. Of course, you can't escape that string in your hand if you're towing a flag or smb.
SMBs are rarely needed for diving from a static boat. You should stay close to the boat and it's flag. SMBs are more suited to drift dives where you don't have to fight it: just ride it. Of course, you can train on it anywhere and learn it's limitations.
Task loading. It's the most overlooked problem on the boat and in the water. The only way through is to keep going through it. Sry.because it was my 1st time ascending with this thing, that had my attention and I didn't take note of how fast we were drift while doing my safety stop.
Diving is not for wimps. Wait till you first try the "pull 'n glide" in a cave system and then go eat hot wings. Woowee that's some fun for everyone else at the table.Ended up with cuts on a couple of fingers as a result as I did have any gloves on.
Learn or improve something on every dive. Learn to read currents and how to dodge them. The ocean is far, far, far stronger than you are. Dive smarter, not harder.Yep, quite a learning experience for me.
Depends on how you inflate it. Mine never seems to need Viagra, but then I use an inflator hose and the special nipple found on a few SMBs. Unplug the inflator hose from my BC (if I'm using the bladder), prepare the spool & SMB, hold the package in my left hand, plug in the hose for 1, 2. 3 and let it all go. The spool will eventually fall back to you. All this while I'm drifting.One thing I'm curious about, would a DSMB of this size fully inflate from 45ft?
All SMBs should have OPVs. And low pressure nipples that don't hold the hose.I suspect I gave it a little more air than necessary for this purpose.
...The spool will eventually fall back to you. All this while I'm drifting.
Keep your hand under a metal spool as it doesn't tend to ascend like a plastic spool (inertia).but tends to not be true for metal spools.